My Study Essentials

I'm about to settle in for my third heavy study session of the day. This semester is intense! I eat, sleep, and breathe schoolwork right now. Writing my practicum has been enjoyable but tedious. I sometimes spend an hour or two on a few sentences. With research, citations, and wording, it can be very time consuming. 

Can I confess a fear to you? I'm worried that after putting hundreds of hours into this project, the final result won't reflect my hard work or the amount of research I've put in. It will be like making a birthday poster at my kids' school. I spend about four hours making each poster, and when I hang it up on the wall and step back to look at it, it doesn't look like something that took that much time to put together. 

But I digress.

Since I'm getting ready to do some more schoolwork, I took a minute to gather my study essentials. I don't always gather my essentials because I'm usually in survival mode. I have to study when the circumstances allow, and I can't waste time trying to get my stuff together. I just have to grab my laptop and hit the ground running before my kids start fighting. But when I do have the opportunity to be deliberate with my study environment, these are some of the things I like to have around.

1. Sustenance

I'm a stress eater, so I love to study with a big bowl of ice cream, a bag of chips, or a soda (bad habit, I know!!!!) But sometimes, a big mug of water suits me fine. I just need something. And if I don't have something while I'm studying, I need something immediately after I finish. 

Sometimes my sustenance ends up on my papers. Oops! (It's a brownie).

2. A Big Box with Handles

The big box is my "catch all" for school stuff. Since studying is often spontaneous due to my unpredictable children, I have to be able to grab what I need quickly. Throughout the day, I have endless stacks of school papers and open books lying on every surface of my kitchen. When things need to be tidy, I throw all of my school stuff in the box, and it is always sitting on my counter.

   

3. A Notebook

I need to be able to take notes and jot down ideas somewhere. This particular notebook was my birthday present from a friend. It's a really good notebook! It has pocket folders inside, and it's nice and wide with thick paper. 

4. Pens & Pencils & Highlighters, Oh My!

I learn best by marking, writing, and doodling, and I like to have different color options because then I can vary my markings to help me find information later. 

And sometimes I just need a little color in my life for fun!

5. Sticky Notes 

Renting textbooks is a blessing and a curse. I will always prefer to own the book, but some are just way too expensive to buy. When I rent a textbook and can't write in it, it puts a huge damper on my learning. For this I use sticky notes. It's a huge pain in the tuckus, but it's a solution.

6. Something Comfy

Last of all, I like having something comfy. Options include a blanket, slippers, or a rice pack to warm my shockingly cold derriere or my neck. Sometimes I rub some DoTerra Deep Blue on my neck and shoulders when I study, or sometimes I burn a scented candle that I enjoy. It's nice to have something soothing going on.

Now, time to get my study on (today I opted for the warm rice pack).